Cut Flower Imports (FY 2015)

Release Date:

February 9, 2016

CBP’s comprehensive approach to border management and control includes protecting agriculture and U.S. economic interests from harmful pests and diseases.

Each day, CBP prevents potentially harmful plant pests and foreign animal diseases from entering the U.S. at more than 300 ports of entry. This mission is highlighted as CBP agriculture specialists process cut flower imports for the Valentine’s season.

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During the 2015 Valentine’s season from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14, CBP processed approximately 976 million cut flower stems, compared to 801 million stems during the 2014 season, an increase of 21 percent. Here are the facts and figures about CBP flower inspections.

Top 10 Ports of Entry, by volume (number of stems), that processed shipments of cut flower imports for the 2015 Valentine season:

Location

Quantity in Stems

FL Miami Air Cargo CBP

875,427,727

CA Los Angeles CBP

37,328,284

CA Otay Mesa CBP

25,167,096

NY JFK Air Cargo CBP

15,081,333

TX Laredo CBP

10,683,185

IL Chicago CBP

4,837,361

MA Boston CBP

2,630,418

PR Aguadilla CBP

2,096,220

NJ Newark CBP

1,836,635

HI Honolulu CBP

1,749,492

Top 10 Ports of Entry, by volume (number of stems), that processed shipments of Chamaedorea, Ferns and Sala imports for the 2015 Valentine season:

Location

Quantity in Stems

TX Laredo CBP

3,601,861

FL Miami Air Cargo CBP

2,518,822

DE Wilmington CBP

1,278,600

CA Otay Mesa CBP

700,355

TX Hidalgo CBP

284,809

FL Port Everglades CBP

254,384

CA Los Angeles CBP

82,594

PR San Juan Air CBP

58,000

TX Progreso CBP

41,988

TX Brownsville CBP

20,211

Top 10 Cut Flower Imports, by volume (number of stems):

Commodity

Stems

Rosa

357,675,390

Bouquet, Mixed

152,930,345

Dianthus

74,179,344

Bouquet, Rosa

72,301,507

Chrysanthemum (pom-pon)

68,879,204

Alstroemeria

39,175,161

Dianthus (mini)

35,690,159

Gypsophila

21,085,582

Chrysanthemum

20,290,740

Tulipa

15,171,337

Top 10 Exporting Country of Origin, by volume (number of stems):

Country

Stems

Colombia

694,453,555

Ecuador

188,597,055

Mexico

38,049,730

Netherlands

20,039,505

Costa Rica

10,516,051

Thailand

7,942,016

Kenya

6,847,891

Guatemala

6,835,964

Israel

2,165,419

Peru

1,867,709

Top 10 Ports of Entry, by number of plant pests intercepted from shipments of imported cut flowers:

Location

Pests Intercepted

FL Miami Air CBP

1467

CA Los Angeles CBP

372

PR Aguadilla CBP

307

CA Otay Mesa CBP

267

NY JFK CBP

150

TX El Paso CBP

114

CA Calexico CBP

69

CA San Ysidro CBP

52

IL Chicago CBP

38

TX Laredo CBP

34

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.